At some point prior to the Generation I games, both Sabrina's Gym and the Karate Master's Fighting Dojo laid claim to the status of being an official Indigo League Pokémon Gym. Due to the type advantage that the Gym's Psychic types had over the Dojo's Fighting types, Sabrina easily won the challenge and became the official Gym Leader of Saffron City.

Items

In the anime

Saffron Gym appeared in two episodes of the anime. It is an unusual dome-shaped building that also an institute for the study of PSI phenomenon.

It first appeared in Abra and the Psychic Showdown. Ash and his friends found their way to the Gym after getting trapped by Team Rocket. Ash challenged Sabrina to a battle, to which she offered an unusual request; if he lost, he and his friends would have to play with her.

Sure enough, Ash lost and was forced to play with Sabrina. She shrunk him and the others down to the size of dolls and nearly knocked them over with a ball. They were saved by Sabrina's father, who told Ash that if he really wanted to defeat Sabrina, he would have to get a Ghost-type Pokémon from Lavender Town.

Ash took his advice and returned two episodes later in Haunter versus Kadabra with a Haunter he picked up. However, when he went to challenge Sabrina, it was nowhere to be found. Ash was about to be turned into a doll, like Brock and Misty, when Sabrina's father appeared once again to save him.

Once more, Ash went to challenge Sabrina with his Haunter. It disappeared again, but reappeared halfway through the battle with Kadabra and Pikachu. After making Sabrina laugh, all of her spells were broken, and Ash received his fourth Badge.

In the TCG

The Saffron Gym was featured in the TCG as both a Japan-exclusive Theme Deck and as a card. The following is a list of cards named Saffron City Gym.

Related cardsCards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format.Cards listed with a silver background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.